A Night to Remember
by A Writer of Fact and Fiction
Summary: Haruka and Michiru invite Usagi and her friends over for some quality Senshi bonding time. This follows on from my previous 'A Day in the Life'. Rated M for mature situations. This one gets a little weird at times! :)
1. Chapter 1

A Night to Remember

Haruka and Michiru invite Usagi and her friends over for some quality Senshi bonding time.

This story follows a few days after 'A Day in the Life'. Rated -M-.

. . . . .

Chapter 1:

"Phone call for you, Chiba-san."

The first-year student of Tokyo University looked up from a stool where he sat taking notes after a painstakingly difficult experiment. "Arigatou, Shimane-san." Mamoru slipped his pen into the breast pocket of his white lab coat. "It's probably my fiancee asking what time I'll be home."

"Tsukino-chan?" the sophomore asked. "I don't think so. It's a girl on the line, but it doesn't sound anything like her."

Puzzled, Mamoru walked past a row of microscopes and over to his professor's office. He picked up the receiver. "Moshi moshi. Chiba Mamoru speaking."

Setsuna's voice came on the line. "Konbanwa, Mamoru-san! I do hope I'm not interrupting your work."

"Think nothing of it, Setsuna-san."

"I'm calling with an invitation" the young woman said. "On behalf of Haruka and Michiru, I'd like to welcome you, Usagi and the girls to their home this Friday night. Their fiancees are also expected to join us, of course."

"Oh? What's happening? Anything serious?"

"Nothing involving Senshi matters, Mamoru-san. Just a friendly little get-together after a relaxing casual dinner party. Haruka told me that she and Minako in particular got off to a somewhat rocky start during your stay in Hawaii. This is her way of making amends and smoothing things over. Perhaps we can all use the time to better get to know one another."

"That's very kind." Mamoru checked his watch. "It's just after eight so I can assume the girls are still doing their homework. I'll call the shrine at once to let everyone know. I'm sure they'd be delighted to attend. I know Usagi will be."

"Wonderful! Since drinks will be served with dinner, anyone who wishes to can stay the night. This house has more than enough room, and we certainly wouldn't want you or the girls driving home under the influence."

"Of course, Setsuna-san. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll be expecting you around six-ish. See you then."

. . . . .

"It just isn't the same without Ami here to help us" Usagi grumbled. She stared forlornly at her notebook, one of four that sat open around the textbook-laden study table inside the Hikawa Jinja. "How am I supposed to make sense of this gibberish without her help?"

"Are you sure it's not just your horrifically bad handwriting that's the problem, Usagi-chan?" Rei peered at the scribbles in the blonde's book from her place at the end of the table. "Looks like a bunch of chicken scratches from here."

"I can read my own writing just fine, thank you anyway!" the blonde miffed. "I don't understand what I wrote, that's all."

"Do you ever? Can anyone?"

"Quiet, Rei-chan! If you aren't going to help, at least let me suffer in peace!"

Across from the odangoed blonde, Aino Minako breathed a happy sigh. "Just one more day of school before the weekend is here, Mako-chan! Just think, in twenty four hours we'll be back in our honeys' arms again! I'm so excited, it's making me dizzy!"

"I thought that was a permanent condition for you, Minako-chan" her brunette friend teased.

"Silly! Aren't you dying to see your Yuji again?"

"Of course I am! What do you think has been keeping me going all week? But we still have one more day of classes to get through first. I'll be in a much better mood when that last bell rings tomorrow."

"Another big weekend in Nerima coming up?" Rei asked.

"Hai!" Minako nodded vigorously. "The biggest! Rei-chan, you're spoiled. You can't possibly imagine how much Mako-chan and I miss our snuggle muffins. And neither can Ami. She and her lover boy have been making the most of their week alone, coming to school together every morning with big smiles all over their faces. Making those lovey-dovey eyes at each other all day long. They're behaving just like they're already married! I'm _so_ jealous!"

"I'm sure you and Mako-chan will more than make up for the lost time with your guys" the miko snickered.

"When I see my Taro again, I'm going to hug him and kiss him and squeeze him non-stop!" Minako giggled, "And that's only the beginning!"

"No doubt" Rei chuckled.

Yuuichirou entered the room, whistling a random off-key tune as he strolled over to the girls. "That was interesting. I just took a phone call from Mamoru."

"Tell me my Mamo-chan is on his way here!" Usagi begged. "I need _some_ good news today."

"Gomen, Usagi-chan. He said he'll be tied up for at least another hour or so."

_"Stupid university!" _She reached for a huge handful of chips to drown her sorrows. "I _hate_ that place!"

"Minna, we've all been invited to Haruka and Michiru's home tomorrow evening" the apprentice announced. "For dinner and a friendly chat. Taro and Yuji are invited too, and Mamoru said anyone who wants to can stay there overnight."

"That's very nice of them" Rei smiled.

Upon hearing this, Minako scowled and slammed her pencil down. _"Forget it! _I know _exactly_ what this is, Yuuichirou-chan! Just another one of Hussy Haruka's wicked schemes to steal my honey love away from me! Well, we're not falling into that sneaky trap! _We're not going!"_

"I thought we were done with this nonsense" Makoto grumbled. "For the last time, Minako-chan, Haruka isn't interested in Taro. Or any other guy for that matter. She's gay. Why are you having so much trouble getting that through your thick skull?"

"Gay, schmay! I don't care! I'm keeping my man in Nerima where he'll be safe and sound" the blonde vowed. "And absolutely _nothing_ can change my mind!"

Rei sensed the challenge and leapt in. "Yuuichirou honey, doesn't Haruka own one of those really exotic and powerful sports cars? A Ferrari, I believe you told me?"

"That's right, my love" the apprentice grinned, knowing exactly what his fiancee was up to. He played along with her mind game. "I've seen it. It's one wild set of wheels."

"And didn't she offer to let Minako take it for a spin some time?"

"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I think she did, darling."

The miko watched with satisfaction as the defiant blonde's willpower began to crumble before her eyes.

"A _Ferrari!_" Minako uttered the name in awe. Her blue eyes took on a familiar power-crazed gleam. "Imagine how fast it is! I _so_ want to... drive..." She abruptly shook her head. _"No!_ I'm _not_ giving in to temptation!" She squeezed her eyes tightly closed and furrowed her brow. "Must... keep... focused..."

Rei continued, "It's a shame Minako will be in Nerima tomorrow night. That's a lost opportunity if there ever was one."

"Can't see how she could drive it from way out there" Yuuichirou grinned. "Oh well."

The blonde cupped her hands over her ears. "I'm not listening! _La la la!"_

"I know!" Rei exclaimed. "Since Minako obviously isn't interested in fast cars, I'll take her place at the wheel. I bet it'll be _so_ much fun."

"The opportunity of a lifetime" her young man agreed.

Makoto whispered to Usagi, "And I'll bet you a soda that Minako is going to change her mind in the next five seconds."

"I don't think so, Mako-chan" Usagi whispered back doubtfully. "She's awfully determined not to let Haruka anywhere near her-"

"Minna, I just changed my mind!" Minako blurted. "My Taro-love and I will attend this get-together thingy after all!"

"Told you, Usagi-chan" the brunette snickered. "She's very predictable. And you owe me a soda."

Rei laughed, "Are you certain, Minako-chan? A minute ago you wanted absolutely no part in this."

"I still don't, Rei-chan. But I'll think of some way to make sure my love muffin and Haruka are kept _very_ far apart. That should be easy enough for a beautiful and intelligent Love Goddess like me to do." She cackled evilly, "And I'll finally get to drive that hussy's Ferrari too, oh yes I will! I'll drive it so hard its wheels come off!"

"I guess that's everyone then" Yuuichirou said with a wink at his fiancee. "Oh, except for Ami and Ryo. I haven't worked up enough nerve to call them yet." He chuckled, "I'm worried about interrupting their... uh... studying or something."

"Allow_ me_ to take care of that difficult problem for you, Yuuichirou-chan!" With another mischevious giggle, Minako leapt from the table and ran to the hallway phone.

"Hai, _so_ predictable" Makoto sighed.

Minako returned a few minutes later. "That's strange. I dialed Ami's number a whole bunch of times but all I got was a busy signal."

Makoto and Rei exchanged glances. "Phone's off the hook" the brunette chuckled.

"Maybe I should try my Senshi communicator" Minako's lips became a wicked grin. "Ami wouldn't dare turn _that_ off."

"Leave them alone, Minako-chan" Rei ordered. "They're obviously busy at the moment. You can tell them about the get-together tomorrow morning at school."

"Nani?" the blonde pouted. "Where's the fun in that?"

. . . . .

Both telephones at the Mizuno residence were, as Makoto had correctly guessed, deliberately disconnected.

The curtains in Ami's room were tightly drawn, the lights were dimmed, and two long-stemmed wine glasses sat empty and forgotten on her night table.

The blue-haired girl lay in a state of complete heavenly bliss, cuddled snugly against the boy who meant everything to her, the boy whom which she had shared once again her mind, body and soul.

"My Ryo-kun" she purred, her pretty face flushed and radiant in the afterglow of their passion. She reveled in the liquid warmth deep within her petite body that he had given her at the very peak of their ecstacy.

Ryo tenderly caressed her soft cheek with his fingertips. "I love you, Ami. I live now as I did once before, only for you."

Ami's hand rested against her lover's chest for a time, gently rising and falling with each breath he took. The teenage couple quietly savored the pleasures of one another, the closeness of their flesh, the sublime moment they now shared. There was no blushing, none of the shyness that normally accompanied them in their daily lives. Only the gentle beating of two contented hearts, bound together for eternity with a love that first blossomed ten thousand years ago, in that faraway kingdom on the moon.

. . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Just remember, love muffin" Minako warned her fiancee. "Don't let Haruka get too friendly with you. And be careful with those wandering hands of hers! I'll be watching that wicked woman_ very_ carefully and if she tries anything, _anything at all,_ run away and let me handle her."

Makoto muttered from the rear seat of Minako's car, "Minako-chan, you've told Taro that at least fifteen times in the last half hour. I think he's gotten the message by now. Are you trying to brainwash him or something?"

"Can't be too careful, Mako-chan" the blonde tutted. She raised one hand from the wheel and waggled her finger. "You know what they say, it's better to be safe than scary!"

Makoto glared at the back of Minako's bow-adorned blonde head. "The only thing scary around here is your driving. On second thought,_ terrifying_ is a much better word for it." A thought occured to her and she grinned. "I guess this visit has you in a real bind, Minako-chan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, on the one hand you're obviously still upset at Haruka after what happened in Hawaii."

"So? I have every right to be, Mako-chan! You saw how that hussy behaved around my Taro! The _nerve_ of that woman!"

"And on the other hand, if you aren't nice to her today she'll probably never let you even _sit_ in her fancy car, much less drive it."

Minako's expression went completely blank. "I never thought of that!" She groaned, "But if I'm nice to her, she may think I approve of her naughtiness around my man!_ Now_ what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure you'll dream up something completely inappropriate" Makoto chuckled. "The way you always do."

Taro pointed to a rapidly approaching lane. "There's the road we're looking for, sweetheart. Turn left here and follow it up that big hill to the very end. That'll bring us to Haruka and Michiru's house."

"Their_ house,_ snuggle-love?" Minako muttered. "More like a Hussy Haven if you ask me. A place to lure innocent unsuspecting boys like you! Hmph! Well, not tonight it isn't!" The orange hatchback whizzed around the corner with a squeal of protest from its tires.

"I'm getting that bad old feeling again, Yuji honey" Makoto sighed at her fiancee. "Something tells me that another of Minako's big disasters is in the cards."

"I think you're right, Mako darling" Yuji grinned.

"You know what your problem is, Mako-chan? You and your lover boy worry too much. You're _so_ alike!" the blonde said in her mirror. "I'll deal with this challenge the same way I always do. In the traditional Aino Minako way!"

"How? By falling off their balcony?"

"Very_ not_ funny!" Minako's blue eyes grew wide as they refocused on the road. "Minna, look! There's Ami and Ryo! And they're in front of us!" She cackled evilly, "That just _won't_ do. Let's pass them!"

"How about we don't this time?" the brunette pleaded. "I'd like to live long enough to- _Minako-chan! Slow down!"_

. . . . .

In the car ahead, Ami breathed a blissful sigh, stealing another loving glance at her young man while coaxing her tiny sedan up a long and steepening hill. "This week has been _so_ wonderful, my Ryo-kun. Living together like husband and wife, or even pretending to the way we were, has truly been heaven for me."

"And for me, Ami my darling. Just remember, someday we won't need to pretend anymore" Ryo smiled. "I'm seriously thinking about confronting Setsuna and making her explain her objection to our wedding while we're here tonight. My heart just can't find peace until we make it official and I belong to you forever."

"You already do, my love" Ami whispered softly. The quiet road began to wend its way through a grove of stately elms as it rose. "I've never visited this outer ward of Tokyo before. It's quite scenic, isn't it?"

"Hai. The view from the balcony of Haruka's home is very-" Her fiancee was startled by a familiar orange blur that suddenly screamed past her door. The blonde at the wheel grinned and waved to them before pulling far ahead.

"Goodness!" Ami exclaimed. "That was rather alarming! Minako certainly isn't wasting any time today."

"Does she ever?" Ryo chuckled.

Ami frowned disapprovingly at her friend's antics. "I enjoy driving quickly just as much as the next girl, but I think Minako takes things just a little too far at times. In fact, I'm going to have a word with her later about her overly-aggressive behaviour."

They eventually caught up with Minako's car as the blonde slowed to turn in at a large gate.

"There it is, Ami darling" Ryo said. "Haruka and Michiru's estate. Big, isn't it?"

The love of his life remarked, "Quite impressive, Ryo-kun. Their home reminds me somewhat of the Kumadas' mansion in Okinawa, though its style appears much more in keeping with Japanese traditions." They followed Minako up a long driveway and parked beside her in an area for visitors. As the teens disembarked they were quickly joined by the last two couples as Hino Rei's red Mercedes pulled up.

Usagi instantly sprang into action, enthusiastically prying Mamoru from the rear of the miko's convertible. She waved at her friends, "Hi minna! Let's eat!"

Rei slipped out from behind the wheel of her Mercedes, rolling her eyes in disgust._ "Eat?_ Let's not _think_ of doing anything civil like greeting our hosts first, will we? Or even taking a minute to look around. Of course not, this is Usagi the Destroyer Of All Things Edible we're talking about! Usagi-chan, _where on earth_ are your manners?"

"My _manners_ happen to be very hungry at the moment, Rei-chan!" the blonde replied haughtily. "So save your annoying lecture! This is what you get for not letting me have those shrimp chips I brought along!"

"I'm not allowing you to fill up the back seat of my nice clean car with your filthy crumbs, you messy baka!" the miko retorted. "Although maybe I should have! Then everyone wouldn't have heard your stomach growling all the way here!"

Clutching tightly onto her Taro as though he might suddenly be swept away in the late-afternoon breeze, Minako walked up to Ami. "I see the Urawas have finally arrived" she teased. "Sorry to pass you like that, Ami-chan, but I simply couldn't _bear_ to wait behind that little blue turtle of yours." With an evil giggle, she turned away from the frowning blue-haired teen and lead the group toward the large house. Minako froze in her tracks as she passed an opened carport. _"There it is, Taro-love!"_ she gasped in awe. _"Haruka's Ferrari!"_ She rushed over to the yellow sports car while dragging her fiancee along. "I simply _must_ have one!"

"Stop drooling all over it, Minako-chan" Rei muttered. "And stop dreaming while you're at it. Do you have any idea what one of those things costs?"

"But that car is so _me,_ Rei-chan!" the blonde insisted. "Elegant, sporty and oh so sexy! And the color is perfect too! I'd look_ good_ zooming around Tokyo in it!"

"Hai" Makoto snorted. "You probably would. Right up until the accident."

Before Minako could think up an appropriate retort, Tenou Haruka emerged from a side door wearing casual slacks and a cream-colored shirt. "Hey. Glad everyone could make it out tonight."

"Konbanwa, Haruka-san!" Usagi beamed. "We're here and we brought our appetites with us!"

"You'd bring your appetite to a funeral!" Rei hissed at her. The miko donned a polite smile. "Please excuse Usagi's tactlessness, Haruka-san. Thanks for inviting us over. Your home looks simply stunning."

"Arigatou, Rei-chan." The tall blonde noticed the death grip Minako now had on her fiancee's arm and couldn't resist stirring things up just a little. "Hello, Taro-chan. Did you enjoy our evening together in Hawaii as much as I did? I regret not having the opportunity to ask you before it all ended so prematurely."

"He had an absolutely _miserable_ time, thank you anyway!" an evilly glaring Minako instantly replied for him. Then she remembered the Ferrari and took another long, lingering glance at it over her shoulder. "I mean... he had an ok time, I guess" she muttered. "But it wasn't _that_ good!"

"I see" Haruka smiled. "Dinner together at that restaurant also was very enjoyable. Don't you agree, Taro-chan?"

"Dinner was-"

"It was... tolerable" the blonde interrupted her fiancee again before Taro had the chance to finish his reply.

"And the movie?" the older blonde inquired. "Did you like it?"

The boy tried again to get a word in edgewise. "The movie was-"

"The movie was good too, ok?" Minako cut him off. "At least the part he saw before everyone got thrown out of the theater!"

"It's so nice talking to you again, Taro-chan" Haruka grinned, ignoring Minako's suspicious glare. "Minna, let's go inside and relax a while before dinner. My Michiru fancies herself something of a skilled hand in the kitchen, and I tend to agree. She's a woman of many diverse talents."

'And so are _you,_ if you count stealing guys away from their girls, you hussy!' Minako thought. 'Just you dare try any more of that hanky-panky tonight and Ferrari or no Ferrari, I'll blow up right in your face!'

. . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The couples followed Haruka inside the mansion and made themselves comfortable in a spacious and tastefully appointed sitting room. As everyone expected, Minako eschewed a place of her own on the sofa, instead planting herself snugly in Taro's lap and slipping an arm protectively around her boy. A moment later Setsuna appeared in the doorway. "Welcome to Chez Kaioh" she smiled. "And Chez Tenou as well, of course."

"How are things in the kitchen, Sets?" Haruka asked.

"Michiru said we should be dining in about twenty minutes" the tall and sometimes aloof young woman replied. "She does request your assistance for a moment, Haruka."

"Sure. Minna, make yourselves at home."

"Anything I can do?" Makoto offered, feeling somewhat out of place without her usual responsibility of preparing the evening meal.

"You're one of our honoured guests, Mako-chan" Haruka replied. "There's no need to lift a finger here, though I'm sure Michiru would appreciate your critique of her work later." She added with a chuckle, "Please be kind."

After the short-haired blonde had left, Setsuna sat with her friends. "I trust everyone had an enjoyable time in Hawaii?"

"We really did!" Usagi exclaimed. "It's so beautiful there. Have you ever been to Hawaii, Setsuna-san?"

"I've visited many strange and exotic places, Usagi-chan" the young woman replied with a mysterious twinkle in her eye. "But never _those_ particular islands."

"Then you should definitely go sometime. My Mamo-chan and I loved every minute of it!" Usagi noticed that the young woman wore no ring on her finger. "Excuse me for asking, but is there a special someone in _your_ life, Setsuna-san?"

"Regretfully, no. My work does not permit me the luxury of such companionship, Usagi-chan. Or... the emotions that accompany it." The blonde could sense a faint twinge of sadness in Setsuna's voice. "You and the other Sailor Senshi are very fortunate to have rediscovered your own past loves. It was something that your first mother, Queen Serenity, was most concerned about. As the end neared, she worked hard in the brief time that remained to bring your futures to fruition."

"We owe her our deepest gratitude" Rei humbly agreed, softly squeezing Yuuichirou's hand with hers. "I wish there was still some way we could all thank her personally."

"I'm sure that your deep and abiding love for one another is the only thanks she would deem necessary" Setsuna smiled. "If she could but see you now, I know she'd be very happy."

The room fell respectfully silent for a brief time as the couples reflected on Setsuna's words. Eventually, Usagi's curious eyes flitted about her unfamiliar surroundings, taking in its distinct musical motif. She pointed at a painting hanging nearby in its elaborate gilded frame. "Minna, who's that weird-looking character on the wall? Is he a relative or something? He isn't Japanese, so I guess not."

"If I'm not mistaken, that would be Johann Sebastian Bach, Usagi-chan" Ami spoke. "One of the world's greatest composers."

"Aha! So _that's_ the guy responsible for some of that horrid music I had to suffer through on the yacht" Minako scowled at the painting. "He should have tried writing pop songs instead, but I guess he wasn't nearly good enough."

"Don't let Michiru hear you say that" Setsuna chuckled. "Bach is one of her favourites."

"Oh, then Michiru must know him really well!" Usagi exclaimed. "Has he dropped by here recently to visit her?"

Rei's head slumped forward in utter disbelief. "He's _dead_, you imbecile! He's been dead for hundreds of years."

Minako's evil grin reappeared. "Then he's not composing anymore, is he? Now he's _decomposing!"_

Everyone in the room stared at her.

"Nani?" the blonde asked innocently. "Did I just say something I shouldn't have?"

"Congratulations, Minako-chan" Makoto muttered. "You just won the award for tasteless remark of the day. Again."

. . . . .

After another fifteen minutes of cordial smalltalk, the couples were escorted through the large mansion to the dining room. Ami and Ryo had noticed with the passing time that Setsuna had tactfully deflected nearly every question she had been asked about the Moon Kingdom or the couples' future lives.

Michiru joined them at the table while Haruka and Setsuna brought out the fruits of her culinary labor. "The grilled salmon turned out somewhat darker than I'd planned" she admitted. "I do hope you will all still find it satisfactory."

"Looks perfect to me!" Usagi exclaimed, her mouth watering in anticipation. "Smells good too! Arigatou, Michiru-san!"

Rei nudged her fiancee. "Just_ look_ at that girl, Yuuichirou-chan!" she muttered. "Usagi is one step away from having her tongue roll out of her mouth and onto the table. I think she was a snake or a lizard in her past life, not a princess."

"Quiet, Rei-chan! I'm no lizard!" Usagi refrained from sticking out her tongue at the miko to prove her point. "It wasn't very nice to call me that either!"

"I know you aren't really a lizard" the miko said.

"Good."

"Because lizards have better table manners."

This time the tongue did come out, followed by a scowl. "I'll remember that!"

Haruka next appeared with the wine and began filling everyone's glasses. After she had served Ami, the blue-haired girl raised her delicate stemware, gently swirled the red liquid within, then gently sniffed its vapors. "This has a very pleasant bouquet, Haruka-san. Is it vintage? Perhaps French?"

"You're quite the young connoisseur, Ami-chan" the tall blonde praised her as she moved on to fill Usagi's glass. "Lafite Rothschild, nineteen seventy-nine."

"Let me try doing that!" Usagi snatched up her glass, stuck her nose deeply into it and inhaled with a long, loud snort. _"Ahh! It stings!"_

"Would you like a straw?" Rei asked the blonde after uttering a groan of embarrassment. "Absolutely no class. None whatsoever. This isn't soda, you idiot. You're supposed to breathe in the wine's subtle aroma, Usagi-chan, not suck it up your beak like a human vacuum cleaner!"

"I know that now!" Usagi replied while tenderly massaging her nose.

"We'll be having cocktails later for those interested" Haruka told the couples. "That's why Michi-chan and I have invited everyone to stay overnight. And for the girls among you who smoke, feel free to do so on the second floor balcony. One of us will be happy to show you where to find it, later on after our meal."

"Ami and I both enjoy an after-dinner cigarette" Rei said appreciatively. "Arigatou, Haruka-san."

Minako's ears had perked up at the mention of her newest pleasure. _"Cocktails, _you say? Now _there's_ something I know a thing or two about!" She bragged to Setsuna, "During the latest of my _many_ world travels, I had a-"

_"Please_ make her stop, Yuji-chan!" the brunette begged her fiancee. "I can't take it anymore!"

"You know your way around a cocktail list, Minako-chan?" Michiru asked in surprise.

"Hai!" the girl nodded brightly. "And tonight I want Mako-chan to try my favourite drink too."

"Really?" The green-haired young woman inquired, "With all the visitors we receive here, Haruka has become quite adept at mixing drinks. What would your favourite happen to be?"

"Tonight, Mako-chan and I will be having Sex on the Beach!" the blonde proudly announced to the entire room.

Haruka raised an eyebrow as she took her seat at the head of the table. "Oh? Do your fiancees approve of this behaviour?" she asked with a grin.

_"That's not what she meant, Haruka-san!"_ Makoto blurted, her cheeks blushing crimson. "She means the _drink,_ not the... uh... other thing."

Michiru smiled at her lover before replying, "Both can be rather enjoyable, Mako-chan, if you keep an open mind."

"I... wouldn't know much about that" the flustered brunette mumbled.

"Oh yes you do!" Minako teased her. "And so does your Yuji! Love-love was written all over your faces that afternoon in Hawaii!"

"I'm going to strangle that girl of yours, Taro-chan" Makoto growled across the table. "Some day when she least expects it. Just so you know."

"I assume you have many guests dropping by, Michiru-san" Mamoru spoke. "That would explain the size of your beautiful home."

"Indeed we do, Mamoru-san. We've been known to entertain visiting classical musicians and conductors from around the world, as well as a number of my partner's racing friends. In fact, Haruka and I have a reputation for throwing some rather memorable parties."

Minako decided the time was right to drop her first hint. "I _love_ your yellow car, Haruka-san! Is that the same one you promised me I could drive when we were in Hawaii?"

"I said that?" the taller blonde puzzled.

"Well... you _did_ say I could if I won our go-cart race." She poured on the charm, smiling sweetly at her host. "And even though I lost, though not by very much" she fibbed, "wouldn't it be a nice gesture to still let me? Like a consolation prize?" She swooned, _"It would make my lifelong dream come true!"_

"I thought your lifelong dream was to become a famous pop idol?" Makoto snorted. "And then a model. And there was a time you wanted to be a fashion designer in Paris-"

_"Hush,_ Mako-chan!" Minako hissed from the corner of her mouth. Her voice again became saccharine sweet. "It really would fulfill my fantasy to drive a real sports car just once in my life, Haruka-san."

"With the way you drive, you'll probably only live long enough to do it once" the brunette teased her. Minako ignored her future sister-in-law, instead giving her host all the charm her beseeching blue eyes and expectant smile could muster.

"I suppose it would" Haruka grinned. "Tell you what, Minako-chan. Let's see how I feel about the idea in the morning, ok? But it all depends on the weather. The Ferrari's current tires aren't suitable for rain."

_"Tomorrow_ _morning?"_ the blonde asked with a sharp gasp. "You mean when the _sun comes up_ tomorrow morning? _It's a deal!"_ Minako beamed happily. "Arigatou, Haruka-san!"

"Did I just made a deal somehow?" the older blonde asked herself.

Michiru giggled softly, "Hai, I think you just did, Haruka."

. . . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

After enjoying their delicious meal the couples adjourned with their hosts to the parlour, a room the boys had seen before during their previous visit to the mansion-like home. Minako immediately frowned distrustfully at the grand piano, as though it would suddenly come to life and attack her with a wave of classical music. Usagi had no such cares and the blonde walked up to it and plinked a few random keys before becoming bored and returning to her Mamoru.

Michiru seated herself near Makoto and Yuji. "Please give me your honest opinion, Mako-chan" the young woman asked. "If you were to prepare the same dinner in your home, is there anything you would have done differently?"

"Nothing at all, Michiru-san. Except... maybe making slightly larger portions to keep Usagi happy."

"I'll definitely remember that for next time" Michiru smiled. "I must know, is your famed prowess in the kitchen a result of a natural ability? I understand you're quite gifted."

Makoto replied with a blush of modesty, "I think any cooking skills I have are there because I've been living alone for so long. Until I became a Sailor Senshi, my life was kind of dull. It was either settle for boring everyday foods, or try new things to spice things up a little, so I began experimenting."

"You're selling yourself short, Mako-chan. In any event, your experiments have certainly yielded excellent results from what I've heard" her green-haired host complimented her. "And now that you have found your Yuji again, that living alone problem also seems well in hand."

"Hai" she smiled happily. "Yuji has changed my life in so many wonderful ways."

"I hope the changes are all good ones, Mako honey" her young man grinned.

"Hai" she lovingly replied to the boy sitting close by her side. "The very best, my Yuji-chan."

Setsuna listened to the conversation unfold from a nearby high-backed chair, wondering if tonight was the appropriate time to reveal why she had insisted upon the postponement of Ami and Ryo's wedding. Not wishing to spoil the evening, she decided to remain silent for now.

Haruka strolled over to a pair of inlaid doors along one wall and slid them back to reveal a well-stocked mini bar. "Minna, who'd like to follow up Michi-chan's dinner with a little evening refreshment?"

"I'd love to, Haruka-san!" Minako sprang from Taro's lap and hurried over.

"Sex on the Beach?" Haruka grinned.

"Two, please! One for me and one for Mako-chan. Oh, and an Asahi for my sugar muffin! Arigatou!"

The older blonde took her other guests' requests before she started. "Mamoru-san?"

"A touch more wine would fit the bill, thank you Haruka-san." He asked his fiancee, "Having anything, Usako? Remember not to overdo it tonight. Your tolerance for alcohol isn't very high."

"Just some water for me, Haruka-san" Usagi said. "I'm already feeling a bit woozy after that fancy French wine."

"And you only had half a glass" Rei teased. "Careful with the water, Usagi-chan. Too much of that stuff and you may pass out."

"I don't want to feel dizzy later, ok?" the blonde answered with a curt sneer. "Doesn't it make you happy to see how responsible I can be?"

"You're such a child!" the miko laughed.

"Am not!_ Nyaaa!"_

"I rest my case." Rei joined Minako and Ami at the mini bar, turning her nose up at Minako's pedestrian choice. "I feel like something extra special tonight, Haruka-san. What would you recommend for a more sophisticated young lady like me?"

"Allow me to consult my guide" Haruka chuckled. She opened a small leather-bound recipe book and began thumbing through it, pausing when Rei asked about a section of loose handwritten notes stuffed between two pages.

"What are those?"

"I've been collecting recipes from other guests, Rei-chan. Most of which I must admit I've never tried. This one, for example, is from a young woman of Michiru's acquaintance who plays cello for an orchestra in Europe, I believe. It has a very unusual mix of ingredients."

The raven-haired girl was intrigued by the name on the page. "A Night to Remember... I'll try one of those, Haruka-san" she decided. "And a Sapporo for Yuuichirou, please."

"Coming right up."

Minako scurried over to her future sister-in-law. "Here, Mako-chan! After you drink this" she giggled, "you can say you've had Sex on the Beach twice!"

"Will it _never_ end, Yuji honey?" the brunette groaned. She tried a small sip of the offered cocktail. "I must admit it's not bad, Minako-chan."

"Tasty, isn't it? But I bet the real thing was a_ lot_ more fun!" the blonde tittered.

Makoto glared at her. "Shut up and drink."

. . . . .

The couples sat together in the comfortable parlour, chatting about their lives. Usagi soon launched into a rant about her substitute teacher. "She kept me behind _three times_ last week, that crabby old witch! It's a good thing she's gone!"

"I thought you said you were stuck with her for two weeks" Rei asked. As she sipped the mysterious concoction she held, she began feeling its first effects but shrugged it off.

"We have Ami-chan to thank for that" Makoto grinned. "When the principal finally found out this morning that she had given Ami a detention, all hell broke loose! She was replaced by a much nicer sensei before the day was half over."

"Ami-chan saves the day!" Usagi cheered. "What_ would_ we do without her?"

"Get worse grades than you already do, probably" Rei teased. "If that's even possible." She found herself pressing her slender body more snugly against her fiancee and abruptly turned to smile sweetly up at him. "I love you, Kumada Yuuichirou."

"And I love you, my beautiful Rei" her young man smiled back.

Michiru remarked, "I'm somewhat surprised that you aren't enrolled in a more prestigious school, Ami-chan."

"I _have_ received a number of offers" the brilliant blue-haired girl admitted. "But that would mean being away from my Ryo-kun and my friends, so I immediately declined every one of them."

"Love conquers all" Haruka chuckled.

"It does..." Rei murmured, feeling increasingly amorous toward her fiancee as the minutes passed. "Ami-chan, I'm going out on the balcony for a cigarette. Or perhaps two. Are you and Ryo coming along?"

Ami smiled, "Hai. I'd love one, Rei-chan."

Rei abruptly downed the last of her cocktail, stood and told her young man in a sultry tone, "Let's go gaze at the stars together, lover boy." Not waiting for an answer, she abruptly pulled Yuuichirou from the sofa and kissed the wide-eyed teen passionately in front of everyone before slipping her arm around him and escorting him upstairs.

"Minna, check the weather for me while you're out there!" Minako called after them. "I don't want any rain spoiling my big drive tomorrow!"

"I can see it now" Makoto chortled. "Sailor Venus standing on the lawn all night, blasting any innocent cloud that happens to drift past with her crescent beam!"

"Do you really think that would work?" the blonde pondered.

"On the clouds? Probably not. But you may end up shooting down any planes flying overhead. _So don't do it!"_

After the two couples had left the room, Usagi leaned forward. "Minna, is it just me or has Rei been acting even more frisky than usual with her Yuuichirou lately?"

Minako giggled from Taro's lap, "Pffft! She isn't being frisky at all, Usagi-chan! At least not that _I've_ noticed."

"Haruka, what was Rei drinking just now?" Michiru asked her lover.

"A little something a friend of yours added to my book last month, Michi-chan. She called it A Night to Remember. Why do you ask?"

"A Night..." Her partner's face turned pale. "Oh dear!"

"Is there something wrong with it?" the tall blonde puzzled.

"I was cautioned about that mix, Haruka. It seems to have a very pronounced effect upon any female who consumes it."

"What does it do?" Makoto asked the green-haired young woman. "Is Rei going to be sick?"

"Apparently it takes some time before its effects fully kick in. But then..." Michiru paused, "Mako-chan, you're aware of how you and the other girls always tease Minako about her... ah... how should I put this most delicately?"

"About how she can't keep her hands off her fiancee?" the brunette chuckled, causing a giggle from Minako and a blush from her Taro. "That's true, we do. And with good reason!"

"Hai. Well... try to imagine Rei tonight as... Minako times ten."

The brunette's face broke into a massive grin. "Sounds to me like poor Yuuichirou really_ is_ going to have a night he'll never forget!"

. . . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

As Ryo had promised, the view from the mansion's balcony was indeed spectacular. A veritable ocean of light from the sprawling city twinkled beneath a late-evening sky, while in the distance the Tokyo Tower shone like a proud beacon in the midst of the Minato ward.

The two couples stood quietly enjoying the view for a time before Ami momentarily turned away from the balcony's rail to open her purse. She slipped a cigarette between her pink lips, coyly leaving it to dangle there for her young lover to ignite.

Always a romantic at heart, Ryo shyly accepted the lighter from his girl and clicked it on. As he carefully brought its small orange flame near, Ami gently cupped his hand with hers to guide it, while gazing lovingly into her Ryo's eyes.

_"Aahh! Rei-chan!"_

The blue-haired girl and her fiancee spun around to find Yuuichirou slowly backing away from his betrothed. "Rei darling, we're in _public!_ Our friends are here!"

"Is something wrong?" Ami asked the couple.

"Everything's fine, Ami-chan" Rei calmly replied without as much as a glance over her shoulder. "My lover boy is just acting a little shy tonight."

"I'm not shy!" the apprentice gasped. "It's just that you startled me, sweetheart! With your hand! Out here on the balcony!"

"When you're in love with a woman and she arouses your innermost desires, don't feel embarrassed and try to hide it. Not like Mako-chan and Yuji did after making love on that beach." Her voice became a sultry whisper. "_Revel_ in it, Yuuichirou-chan. Revel in... _our_ _passion."_

Ami and Ryo exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why their friend suddenly seemed to be losing control of her inhibitions. "Ryo-kun" Ami whispered, "I think that strange cocktail Rei had tonight must have affected her self-control."

No sooner had she spoken when the miko turned and smiled at them. "There was nothing wrong with my drink, Ami-chan. I'm actually feeling really good! I guess my fiancee thought I was being a little too forward around our friends. Believe it or not, Yuuichirou can be as shy as you or your Ryo are at times."

"Are you _sure_ you're ok, Rei honey?" Yuuichirou cautiously asked.

_"Of course_ I am, darling. Now be a proper gentleman and light my cigarette for me. I'll reward you for your good behaviour later."

"Uh... sure, my love." Her young man obediently did as he was told and the raven-haired girl smiled sweetly at her fiancee. "That's better, Yuuichirou-chan._ Much_ better. Now come closer. It's ok... I don't bite."

"Gomen" Yuuichirou grinned apologetically, "Sorry for being so jumpy just now."

"I forgive you."

The couples again gazed out at the scenery together and the apprentice slipped an arm around his future bride's slender waist. "You know" Rei purred to him, "a girl can never have too much romance in her life. Or too much love. Perhaps it's me" she mused. "Maybe seeing me around the shrine in my miko clothing just isn't doing it for you."

"I have absolutely no complaints, my sweet. You're incredibly beautiful no matter what you wear. I love you so _very_ much."

"Then prove it" she abruptly demanded.

_"Nani?"_

"Prove your love to me, Yuuichirou-chan. Take me to bed."

The teen's eyes widened. _"Now?"_

"Now."

Ryo leaned to whisper in Ami's ear, "I'm beginning to feel somewhat uncomfortable about this, Ami-chan. Rei's mood is changing so fast."

Rei suddenly tossed her cigarette away and threw out her arms. "I'm waiting, lover! Take me, Yuuichirou! _Take me now!" _

_"Oh my!"_ Ami gasped, her sudden blush equally matched by Yuuichirou's reddening face.

The apprentice ran across the balcony to cower behind Ryo. "Minna, Rei has gone wild! It must be that drink she had!"

"Don't you love me?" the miko pouted. "I love _you."_

"I _do_ love you,my darling! With all my heart! But it just wouldn't be right, not in your present condition! You aren't yourself! It's just the alcohol talking!"

"Let it talk! Let it _sing!_ _Oh, I want you so badly!"_

An instant later the balcony door burst open and Minako ran out to the rail, peering anxiously at the sky. "Minna, does that look like rain to you?" She squinted, "I can't see _anything_ up there because of all those silly lights!"

"The sky only has a few tiny clouds, Minako-chan" Ami reassured her.

The blonde cackled, rubbing her hands together with glee. _"Excellent!_ That means I'll be driving Haruka's Ferrari in the morning!" She watched Rei take one slow step toward her man, and then another, like a lioness stalking her prey.

"What's happening here?" Minako grinned, "Wait, I think I know!"

"You can't hide from love, Yuuichirou!" the miko called to her fiancee.

"Tonight I _have_ to!" he gasped. "Please forgive me!" Panicking, he fled inside the house with his girl hot on his heels.

"Come back, lover! _Come back and have your way with me!"_

"Wow!" Minako grinned. "And I thought_ I_ was bad!"

"It's the cocktail, isn't it?" Ami asked.

"Hai!" the blonde nodded. "That crazy stuff Rei drank tonight has a really interesting side effect! It's making her behave like everyone thinks I always do. Only a _whole lot worse!" _she giggled.

"Poor Rei will feel so embarrassed in the morning" Ryo sighed.

Ami mused, "Well, there isn't much we can do now except let nature take its course, Ryo-kun."

"I don't see a problem here" Minako said. "What's wrong with a little love-love? It certainly works for me!"

. . . . .

The remaining couples chatting in the parlour were stunned to see Yuuichirou rocket downstairs, taking the steps two at a time. "Minna! _Help!"_

They were even more shocked when Rei came sprinting after him. "I'm _waiting,_ lover boy!"

Yuuichirou shot across the room, putting the sofa Usagi and Mamoru were sitting on between him and his girl. "Rei darling, don't be too hasty about this! You need to sleep that cocktail off first!"

"I'll sleep, Yuuichirou-chan, but only after you satisfy me! _Over and over again!"_

_"Ecchi!" _Usagi blurted.

Makoto instantly facepalmed. "And so it begins."

The miko's indigo eyes were afire with passion. She feigned a quick dart to one side of the sofa, then to the other, with Yuuichirou matching her moves. "I'm going to catch you sooner or later!" she laughed. "And when I do, lover boy, you're in for the ride of your life!"

_"Double ecchi!"_ Usagi blurted again.

Michiru looked at her partner with alarm. "What should we do, Haruka?"

"Sit back and watch the show?" the tall blonde suggested with a grin.

Growing impatient, Rei took a shortcut and tried climbing past Usagi over the sofa. "I have you now, Kumada Yuuichirou!"

_"Get away from me, you crazy baka!"_ the blonde yelled.

"Do you want me to corral her?" Makoto asked the apprentice, not knowing whether to worry about the miko's well being or laugh hysterically.

"That would be good!" he gasped.

But before the brunette could clamber to her feet, Rei sprang across the top of the sofa and leapt toward her fiancee.

_"Ahhh!" _Yuuichirou spun on his heels and fled down the nearest hallway, his girl giggling as she chased him down.

"Rei-chan, please try to calm yourself!"

"Not until I've had my way with you!"

Their voices faded away as they ran deeper into the mansion.

"I see what you mean about throwing memorable parties here, Michiru-san" Taro chuckled. "It'll be hard to top this one!"

The deeply embarrassed green-haired young woman was almost beyond words. "Minna, Haruka and I are _very_ sorry about this incident. It was just a simple mistake."

"I'm not sorry" Haruka grinned. "I'm rather enjoying it! _Ow! _Michi-chan!"

Minako ran back inside the room. "Did I miss anything?" she asked breathlessly. "Has Rei caught him yet?"

Footsteps suddenly became louder and Yuuichirou reappeared. He tore across the parlour and headed toward the stairs. Rei was still in hot pursuit, long raven hair whipping behind her, eyes gleaming with unbridled lust.

"Not yet" Makoto deadpanned.

The teens heard a door slam when the apprentice tried hiding in one of the guest bedrooms, followed a few seconds later by a cry of victory from the triumphant miko.

_"Aha! N_ow you're _all_ _mine,_ lover boy!"

The door slammed shut again.

"Now she has" the brunette chuckled.

Usagi cackled, "Minna, I don't know about you but I'm _never_ going to let evil Rei live this one down!"

"Haruka-san, may I have a copy of that drink recipe?" Minako asked. "Just in case I-"

Everyone in the room answered as one voice.

_"NO!"_

. . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Ten minutes later, Ami and Ryo returned from the balcony to find Setsuna sitting alone in the living room, idly flipping through the pages of a travel magazine.

"Where is everyone, Setsuna-san?" Ami asked.

"They're all on a tour of the house, Ami-chan. Except for Rei and Yuuichirou, who are... uh..."

"We have a very good idea where _they_ are" the blue-haired girl giggled. The couple seated themselves across from her. "May we talk to you about something very important?"

The Plutonian Senshi sighed. "I know what you're going to ask."

"The reason for delaying our wedding is very important to us, Setsuna-san" Ryo spoke. "Is it because you think we're too young and immature?"

"No. That certainly isn't it." She smiled, "I've met many people far older than you who have nowhere near your's or Ami's level of maturity, Ryo-chan."

"Then perhaps you believe we're not able to manage our lives as an independent married couple" Ami suggested. She quickly pointed out, "Mako-chan has been living alone for several years now, and she's doing fine."

"Hai. She is." Setsuna flipped the magazine closed and set it aside.

"Isn't there _anything_ you can say?" Ryo pleaded. "I love my Ami. I love her more than life itself. If you still do not approve of our wedding this year, at least please tell us why."

The sixteen-year-old boy's sincere request caused the young woman to wonder if perhaps she should tell them. After a moment's contemplation, she looked at the couple. "So you really want to know, do you? What if the things I were to tell you are less than pleasant?"

"Then we will deal with them the same way we will face all our life's future problems" Ami replied confidently. "Together, as a loving husband and wife."

"I suppose I owe you that much" Setsuna relented. The young woman's expression became distant. "You remember little of your past lives in the Moon Kingdom?"

"Virtually nothing" Ami said.

"Then I'll tell you something new. Something beyond anything this world, its politicians, its scientists or great thinkers could ever imagine. You must promise to keep this knowledge to yourselves and yourselves alone. Even Mamoru and Usagi must not know, else that may undoubtably complicate matters beyond my control."

The teens shared a glance and leaned forward expectantly. "We promise" Ami vowed. "You have our word on it."

"Ours isn't the only universe that exists, that much I've already told you. The reason I'm aware of this fact is because another universe and ours are closely intertwined. I won't go into great detail about certain aspects of it tonight. All you need to know is that people are able to traverse between them, under the correct conditions. Those conditions come and go, like the rising and falling tide in the sea. And for the next four years, this connection is once again possible."

"That's incredible!" Ami gasped. "Einstein was right!"

"A brilliant man" Setsuna nodded. "But now you must be wondering how this could possibly affect the marriage of two young people here in our world."

"Is it because of something happening in the other universe?" Ryo ventured.

"That's very astute of you, Ryo-chan" she smiled. "Back in those days when Queen Serenity reigned, there was free travel between here and there. Several citizens of the Moon Kingdom visited the 'other side', as I like to think of it, and likewise, humans from there visited our home. One of them, a young man, stayed permanently. He fell in love with a moon maiden and they were married. They had two children, both boys."

"So the people from the other side are physically just like us?" Ami's brilliant mind absorbed this information with great surprise.

"There are many beings, human and non-human alike, who exist in both places, Ami-chan. Our human race is but one of many. And in this case, you are correct. The humans here and there are almost exactly alike."

"I still don't understand how this affects Ami and me" Ryo puzzled.

"You don't? Ryo-chan, in your past life, you were one of those two boys."

The teen's mouth fell open in stunned shock. _"I'm part alien?" _

"No" Setsuna chuckled. "You aren't an alien at all. You simply have the blood of your father in your veins, a human like us but who was born on the other side."

"This is all so fantastic, Setsuna-san!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed. "Does this mean my Ryo is still considered to be related to that other universe's human race?"

"It does. And that is where we have our little problem. For you see, the humans of the other side are currently at war with a fierce, non-human race who dwell upon a distant planet in their solar system. Those aliens wish to eliminate all those humans who are related by blood. And that would include you, Urawa Ryo."

Ryo's mind reeled. "But... how do they know I'm _here?"_

"Your ancestors kept meticulous records of their travels, their marriages, and the resulting children. You also have a genetic trait that is easily identified by the aliens' advanced technology. If their war is successful and they find those records, they will no doubt come looking for you. And for your brother."

A tear slid down Ami's quivering cheek. "Surely there is something the Sailor Senshi can do, Setsuna-san."

"There is not. Even Usagi's Maboroshi no Ginzuishou would not be enough. But there is still hope, for the aliens are losing the war they started. In fact, the final battle may be over well within a year."

"I understand now why we have to wait" Ryo nodded. "If I die, our future child would never exist. There would be no little Chieko."

"Precisely, Ryo-chan. Without her, everyone's future lives would change, parents and children alike."

Ami tightly hugged her young man. "You _aren't_ going to die, my Ryo-kun. The other humans will win the war and we _will_ be married!" She began to softly cry. _"I won't lose you!"_

He held his weeping lover close, hoping with all his heart that Setsuna was correct and that this faraway war would soon end for the better. But for now, he realized bitterly, all they could do was wait.

. . . . .

The couples' hosts wrapped up their home tour with a brief starlit walk around the grounds. As they neared the carport, Minako's eyes lit up brightly. "Haruka-san, may I sit in your car?"

"Trying it out for size?" Haruka chuckled.

"I just want to get the feel of it before I take it out tomorrow."

"Sure. Why not?" Haruka reached under a bench inside the building and produced a key. She unlocked the driver's door and held it open for the blonde. "Enjoy."

"I will! Arigatou!" Minako flung herself behind the wheel of the powerful Ferrari while Haruka wandered off to answer an urgent question Usagi posed about visiting hours to the kitchen. "Oh! I so_ love_ this car! I can't _wait_ to take it out on the road and see what it can really do!" She caressed the leather-wrapped steering wheel and ran her fingers gently over the controls, dreaming about how quickly she could get to Nerima if she owned it.

"Any more of that touchy-feely stuff and Taro's going to be jealous" Makoto chuckled.

"This car was _made_ for a speedy girl like me, Mako-chan!" the blonde bubbled. _"It has Aino Minako written all over it!"_

"And after _you_ drive it, it'll have a mailbox or a telephone pole all over it" the brunette teased.

"Hmph!" The blonde's eyes swept around the car and she frowned when she spotted something unexpected on the floor. "Nani? Why does this car have _three_ pedals?"

"The third one is the clutch, Minako-chan" Mamoru said. "Didn't you cover the basics of how to drive a stick shift in your training class?"

"Clutch? Oh! The_ clutch!"_ she giggled. "I know all about that, Mamoru-san" she lied. "It must have just slipped my mind. Silly me!"

Eventually she climbed out of her fantasy and Makoto whispered to her, "You have absolutely no idea what that clutch thing is for, do you?"

"Not really" Minako giggled. "But I'll bet Ami does! I'll ask her all about it later. And if she doesn't know, I'll ask Usagi for help!"

"And yet another disaster looms large on the horizon" the brunette sighed.

. . . . .

"I understand your concern" Setsuna comforted the teens. "Your ancestors from the other side were a gentle, peaceful people, Ryo-chan. And they still are to this day. Lovers rather than fighters, much like yourself. But I honestly believe you needn't worry too much. They have made very powerful allies over the millennia, and as a result, this war is going well for them. Perhaps within months or even weeks the threat will be forever vanquished."

"Please let us know the instant you find out that my Ryo is safe" Ami implored the Senshi.

"I will."

"I still have one question, Setsuna-san." Ryo asked, "If my brother from the Moon Kingdom followed me to this life, shouldn't I tell him about this? To warn him?"

Setsuna firmly shook her head. "Absolutely _not,_ Ryo-chan. The less known about this by the people here on this earth, the better."

"Can you at least tell me who he is? Do I know him?"

"In this life, you're actually very close friends" the young woman smiled.

"What is his name?" The boy's earnest plea could not be left unanswered.

"His name?" Setsuna asked with a twinkle in her eye. "His name is... Ito Yuji."

. . . . .


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

"Now that the usual formalities are out of the way, let's get to know each other somewhat better" Michiru suggested. The couples had finished their tour and were now relaxing in the living room of the mansion. "Usagi-chan, why don't you kick things off by telling Haruka and me something unique about yourself."

"There isn't much to say, Michiru-san. When I'm not Sailor Moon, I'm just an ordinary schoolgirl" the blonde replied. "With kind of bad grades" she added. "Oh, and a healthy appetite! But you already know about that part."

"There must be much more to your life than that, Usagi-chan. What's your favourite thing in the world?"

"My Mamo-chan!" she grinned.

"I'm glad to hear that, Usako" Mamoru smiled. "I was worried you were going to pick food."

"That's my _second_ favourite thing!" Usagi giggled. "Although evil Rei would probably tell you I've got those two backwards. Don't ever listen to anything she says, Michiru-san. She's mean and teases me all the time for no good reason!"

"How about you, Mako-chan?"

"My favourite? My Yuji" the brunette answered at once. She gave her fiancee a loving smile. "Then comes cooking and gardening."

"I have_ five_ favourite things!" Minako chimed in. "My Taro, my Taro, my Taro, my Taro and... _my Taro!_ In that order! And I love to drive fast too, so I guess that's six things" she giggled.

"I'm beginning to see a trend here, Michi-chan" Haruka chuckled. "Let's make this a touch more interesting. Usagi-chan, how about we pretend for a minute that you were like Michiru or me."

"Famous and successful?" the younger blonde asked. "I wish!"

"That wasn't where I was going, but arigatou. What I meant was, if you weren't interested in boys, which girl here would you choose to be with? As a life partner."

Usagi abruptly ceased her vigorous munching on the bag of shrimp chips she held._ "Nani?_ I'm not like that _at all,_ Haruka-san!"

"I know you're not. This is just for fun."

"Oh! Ok then. Hmm, tough question! Ask someone else first!"

"Sure. Ami-chan, how about you?"

The blue-haired girl promptly hid her face behind her hands. "I can't answer _that_ kind of question, Haruka-san!"

"Sure you can" the blonde coaxed. "Just pick one of the other four girls. It's a good way for Michiru and me to find out where your tastes really lie."

"Well... if I _had_ to choose..." Ami mused, "...it would be..." The shy girl nearly withered behind all the stares now focused on her. "...Mako-chan."

_"Me?"_ The brunette's eyes sprung wide. "Ami-chan, I'm flattered!"

"Ohh!_" _Usagi groaned_. "I was going to pick her!"_

"Because of my cooking hobby, no doubt!" Makoto laughed.

"Of course that's why!" Usagi giggled. "But I'm only interested in my Mamo-chan, so sorry! Better luck next time, Mako-chan!"

Haruka moved on. "Minako-chan?"

The bubbly blonde fidgeted on Taro's lap, tapping her lip in thought. "Hmm... _hmm..._ I'd have to pick Rei. Because that girl knows what it means to have fun!"

Usagi's face twisted into a horrified grimace. "Minako-chan, are you _out of your mind?"_ She sat back and folded her arms._ "_I'd rather have a toothache! I'd rather jump off the top of the Tokyo Tower! _I'd rather starve!"_

"And that leaves Makoto" Michiru spoke, enjoying Haruka's little game immensely. "May I guess for you, Mako-chan? I think I know who you'd pick as your life partner and lover."

"You do?"

"You'd choose Ami."

"Hai. I would" the embarrassed brunette admitted. By now Ami's blush was nearly bright enough to illuminate a dark room. Makoto grinned, "I've always been a sucker for the shy intellectual type. And the blue hair is cute."

"Not fair!" Usagi sulked. "Nobody picked _me!"_

"Maybe Rei would have picked you if she was here!" Minako giggled.

_"Minako-chan!"_ Usagi yelled. "That was completely uncalled for! Now I'm going to have even _more_ nightmares!"

"More nightmares, Usagi-chan?" Setsuna asked. "Do you have them often?"

"Not too often, Setsuna-san. But when I do, they're always really scary bad! And then I wake up and it's creepy and dark! Stupid, miserable things!"

"That _is_ why they're called nightmares, Usako" Mamoru chuckled. "I must admit, I've had more than my share as well over the last few years. Particularly during the time Beryl was a threat."

"And _good riddance_ to that wicked woman!" Usagi grumbled.

The group looked up when they heard a male voice gasp weakly from the hallway.

"...water... need water..."

Kumada Yuuichirou staggered into the room, his hair disheveled, his torn shirt missing several buttons and hanging loose, and with a large pink bath towel wrapped around his waist like a skirt.

_"Good grief!"_ Makoto blurted. "Are you ok, Yuuichirou-chan? You look like you're near death's door!"

"...water..." He slumped against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Excuse me a moment sweetheart." Taro squirmed out from beneath Minako and hurried to the kitchen, soon returning with a full glass. "Here, Yuuichirou-chan. Drink this. It will help."

The young apprentice gulped it down before wobbling over to collapse against the arm of a sofa.

"I _told_ everyone Rei was lots of fun!" Minako laughed. _"See?_ I was right!"

"Arigatou, Taro-chan" Yuuichirou mumbled weakly. "You just saved my life."

"It's ok, Yuuichirou-chan" Taro said. "I know _exactly_ how you feel."

"I bet you do, Taro-love!" his girl giggled. "And in another hour or so, you'll know it again! _Oh yes you will,_ my big strong stud muffin!"

Yuji's grin was a mile wide. "Back to the tomb you go, Indiana Taro!"

His brother shot him a playful glare and opened his mouth to reply but before he could speak, a girl's melodic voice called out from the top of the stairs. "I'm _waiting_ for you, Yuuichirou-chan! Let's not waste another minute of our night together. A night so _full_ of pleasurable possibilities! Come back to your Rei, you hot, sexy lover boy! I'm only getting warmed up!"

"That weird cocktail must really pack a punch!" Makoto grinned at Ami.

Yuuichirou struggled to raise himself from the sofa. He mumbled, "Minna, could someone please give me a push? Arigatou."

Taro helped him to his feet and guided the exhausted teen towards the hall. "Can you make it upstairs on your own?"

"I... think so." He looked at the other boy through glazed, unfocused eyes. "Taro-chan?"

"Yes, Yuuichirou-chan?"

"If I don't survive the night, please give Hino-sensei my best regards." He slowly staggered off and Taro returned to his seat.

"Now _that's_ what I call a party!" Minako beamed at her fiancee. She slipped her arms around him. "And later on, our _personal_ party will get even wilder than Rei and Yuuichirou's, sugar muffin!"

"Save some of that energy for your drive tomorrow, Minako-chan" Haruka grinned. "It's a good thing you said you knew your way around a stick shift, otherwise we'd probably never leave the garage."

"I will!" the bubbly blonde promised. "When are we planning on going out, Haruka-san?"

"Michiru and I are both late sleepers on the weekend, so perhaps sometime after ten."

"And a _deep_ sleeper you are too, Haruka" Michiru smiled at her lover. She told the couples, "When my partner finally falls asleep at night, nothing less than a major earthquake could awaken her."

"That's your fault, Michi-chan" Haruka chuckled.

Minako abruptly bolted from Taro's lap and ran over behind the love seat Ami and Ryo were sitting on. She stuck her head between them and frantically whispered to Ami, "Can we talk for a minute, Ami-chan? Not here, out in the hall where it's much more private!"

"Of course, Minako-chan." The blue-haired girl excused herself from her fiancee and followed her friend from the room.

"Ami-chan, I'm in trouble!" the panicked blonde exclaimed.

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"I don't have the _first clue_ about that clutch and gear stick thingy! My car is an automatic!_ Please_ tell me what to do!" she pleaded. "I really, _really_ want to drive that Ferrari!"

"My car is an automatic as well, Minako-chan. And so is Rei's Mercedes, Mamoru's car and the shrine's van. I understand the_ theory_ behind manually changing gears, but I've never actually done it before."

"Then teach me everything you remember from those boring lectures I slept through in driving class" Minako insisted. "I need all the help I can get!"

"Well... I'll give it a try." Ami began explaining the concept, but was temporarily interrupted by her miko friend's sultry voice from the second floor.

_"There_ _you are,_ Yuuichirou-chan! It's not nice to keep your lover waiting so long, you bad boy! Now I'll have to punish you for your tardiness._ So get into bed!"_

_"Oh dear!"_ Ami gasped. "Poor Yuuichirou!"

"Don't pay them any attention" Minako hissed. "Just keep talking!"

In the living room, Ryo found himself wondering if his family ties to Yuji in their past life was one reason why they had become such close friends here. The boy who had been his brother in the Moon Kingdom was still busy teasing his brother in this life.

"If you need any help later, Taro-chan, I'll be glad to send first aid. Oh, wait!" Yuji exclaimed. "You won't need first aid, will you? Not with your very own Nurse Minako in the house!"

"Just for that, the next time you hurt yourself playing sports at school, I'm going to make sure Nurse Minako takes care of your recovery" Taro grinned.

"Nani? Be _reasonable,_ Taro-chan! I'm too young to die!" He added with a smirk, "By the way, where do you keep your whip, Indiana?"

"If anyone's going to be using a whip around here tonight, it'll be Rei-chan" Makoto chuckled. She instantly blushed. "I can't believe I just said that out loud!"

"Mako-chan, lately you're acting almost as ecchi as Minako!" Usagi giggled. "It must be all that time you spend in your kitchen. Or going on those outdoor _hikes_ with your Yuji! Oh! Speaking of which, you really don't mind if I raid your kitchen later, Haruka-san?"

"Not at all, Usagi-chan. Help yourself to whatever you wish."

Usagi grinned happily at the tall blonde. "I like you!"

"There's a very good reason behind Usagi's legendary appetite" Setsuna told the group. "It's because of the unique powers that dwell within her. They consume so much energy that she has to constantly replenish herself."

_"Ha!"_ Usagi blurted. "And everyone thought I always eat so much because I'm a greedy glutton!" She waggled her finger. "_Shame on you all!"_

"That does explain why you never seem to gain any weight, Usagi-chan" Makoto remarked as Minako and Ami returned to the living room. "Well, that plus all the exercise you get with Mamoru." Her blush returned. _"What's gotten into me tonight?"_

"I know what's getting into you later!" Minako tittered as she walked past.

Daggers sprang from the brunette's green eyes. "Just _once_ I'd like to hear you say something tactful, Minako-chan. Just one time! Can you manage doing me that one small favour?"

"Gomen! I'll try." The blonde stooped to whisper in Makoto's ear, "In the meantime, could you do _me_ a favour, Mako-chan? A really, really, _really big_ one?"

"I shouldn't, not after what you just blathered in front of everyone" the brunette grumbled. "What kind of favour?"

"Can't say anything now" Minako replied, her blue eyes darting shiftily from side to side. "I have to tell you down here in the living room at three A.M.."

Makoto glared at her._ "Three in the morning?" _

_"Sshhh! Keep your voice down!"_

_"Forget it! _This sounds like another one of your crazy ideas, Minako-chan. I don't want any part in it."

"Please?"

"No."

_"Pleeeeease?_ I promise I'll never ever ask you for another favour _ever again!_ And I won't mention that beach love-love time you and Yuji had ever again either."

The brunette sighed deeply. "Fine. I'll be here at three. But I hope you have a good reason to get me out of bed at that ridiculous hour!"

"Oh, I do!" Minako giggled. "A _very_ good reason! Arigatou, Mako-chan!" She scurried away to her love's waiting lap with a big smile on her face.

'What have I just gotten myself into?' Makoto wondered.

. . . . .


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Ito Taro's eyes blinked open in the pitch-black room after the bedside clock had beeped twice. The blonde girl who had been dozing comfortably upon him jolted awake and smacked the clock into silence.

_"Sshhh!"_ Minako hissed at it.

"What time is it, sweetheart?" the boy asked in a sleep-filled daze. "It still looks really dark."

"That's because it's the middle of the night, silly!" his fiancee giggled. "I have to get up for a little while, but you stay right there and rest awhile, honey muffin. I'll be back soon and wake you up for more love-love fun!"

"Hai... rest..." Taro mumbled. The still-exhausted teen drifted back to sleep mere seconds after the girl had climbed off his well-built frame. Minako slipped into her school uniform, not having had time to change to regular clothes before she and Makoto had driven to Nerima the prior afternoon to pick up their fiancees. She clipped her red bow in her hair and cautiously opened her bedroom door. A face appeared in the gloom beyond.

_"Ahhh!_ Usagi-chan, don't scare me like that!"

_"You_ scared _me_, Minako-chan!" The odango-haired girl's arms were heavily laden with assorted junk food. "Why are you awake now?" she asked suspiciously. "It's really late!"

"Never mind why. Go on back to your Mamoru and pretend you never saw me here, ok?"

"That's exactly what I was _planning_ on doing" Usagi miffed. She continued down the hall with her gigantic late-night snack and disappeared from sight.

Minako tiptoed downstairs after passing Rei's bedroom, hearing nothing but silence from within. 'I guess _that_ party's finally over!' she giggled to herself. Groping her way along the unfamiliar hall, she eventually arrived at the living room a minute after three.

"No! Mako-chan didn't show up!" she groaned.

"I'm here." A table lamp clicked on, revealing her brunette friend sitting on the sofa in mid-yawn. "I left my Yuji and my nice warm bed to do this favour of yours, so it had better be good, Minako-chan. Now talk."

Minako gestured toward the hall, "Turn off the light and follow me, Mako-chan. We need to find our shoes."

"We're going outside?"

"Hai. And don't make any noise!"

_"Why on earth_ are we-"

_"Sshhhh! _You'll know in a minute."

Makoto reluctantly followed her friend to the front door and the teens pulled on their school dress shoes before stepping out into the night. The brunette watched Minako ease the door gently closed behind them, then peer upward. "Perfect!" the blonde cackled softly. "No rain!"

"Ok, we're outside. Now would you mind telling me why we're here?"

"In a minute, Mako-chan. I want to make sure the house is still dark and everyone else is asleep first."

"I wish _I_ was still asleep" Makoto grumbled. She followed her friend around the front of the house, only to have Minako abruptly freeze solid.

"Chikusho!" the girl hissed. "Someone's out on the balcony!"

They crept closer, only to find that the person above them was Rei. "This is big trouble!" Minako groaned. Both teens were stunned when Rei spotted them in the shadows and instead of yelling at them, she waved happily.

"Hi!" To the girls' surprise, the miko greeted them with a big smile. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

"Rei is still acting weird" Makoto muttered. "That cocktail mustn't have worn off yet."

"Good!" Minako breathed a sigh of relief. "Rei-chan, what are you doing out here at this hour?"

_"Me?"_ the miko asked with an uncharacteristic giggle that made her sound exactly like Minako. "I have to let my lover boy rest a while to recharge himself again! So I thought I'd have a cigarette while I waited." The raven-haired girl took a puff and exhaled. "This is really putting me in the mood!"

"As if she needed any more help to be 'in the mood' tonight" Makoto muttered. "I wonder if Yuuichirou is still alive?"

"Why are _you two_ down there?" Rei asked. She giggled, _"Mako-chan! _Did Minako just catch you and Yuji romping around on the lawn again? You naughty, naughty girl!"

"No!" the brunette blurted. "Yuji is still upstairs in bed!"

"Oh. That's a good place to keep him!" the still somewhat-inebriated miko laughed. "That way, you won't get any grass in your ponytail!"

Makoto glared angrily at Minako. "Is _this_ why I'm here? So you and Rei could embarrass me?"

"No, Mako-chan! I didn't know she'd still be awake." The blonde begged the girl on the balcony, "Rei-chan, _please_ don't tell anyone you saw us out here tonight, ok?"

"Why would I do that?" the miko wondered. "I have much more important things on my mind, Minako-chan! Speaking of which" she giggled, "My Yuuichirou has had _more_ than enough rest by now. Minna, see you later!"

"Just what we needed tonight" Makoto grumbled. "Two Minakos! Rei is still spaced out and I'm getting more confused by the minute, Minako-chan. When are you going to tell me what's going on?" The brunette followed her future sister-in-law around the corner of the mansion and it suddenly dawned on her what the girl had in mind. "_Please_ tell me you aren't going to do something to mess with Haruka's fancy car!"

"Does driving it count?" Minako asked innocently.

Makoto was horrified. _"Are you mad?" _she screamed._ "_If Haruka ever finds out what you were up to down here tonight, she'll _kill_ you! And not only that, taking someone's car without permission is stealing!"

"It's not stealing, silly! Haruka already told me I could drive it. I'm just going for my first Ferrari ride a little earlier than we planned, that's all."

"If she wakes up and her car is missing-"

"Haruka will never know, Mako-chan" Minako answered with an evil giggle. "Michiru told us how deeply she sleeps, so _that_ won't be a problem. I've already thought of everything else, and that's where _you_ come in."

"Oh no you don't, _no way!"_ Makoto took a step back. _"_I'm not getting mixed up in _this_ disaster!"

"But you _promised!"_ Minako sulked. "Anyway, the only teeny tiny little thing I need you to do is to help me push the car back inside the garage after my ride is over. You're the strongest girl in our group so between the two of us, it should be as easy as falling off a dog! I'm sure I can drive it, but I'm not very good at parking and I don't want to hit anything."

"I'd like to hit something right now" Makoto growled threateningly._ "I'd like to a lot!"_

"Don't be such a stick in the muck, Mako-chan!" the blonde groaned. "Look, if I wait until morning and Haruka finds out I'm not very experienced with silly clutches and things, she won't let me drive. _This_ way, I can get in a little practice tonight and be perfect tomorrow! Besides" she added with a dismissive wave, "a car is a car. I drove that big Cadillac in Hawaii and it was easy, so how hard can _this_ possibly be?"

"I knew something like this was going to happen" Makoto muttered. "So what am I supposed to do, just stand around out here waiting for you to come back? What if you have a problem and break down or something?"

"That's why I'd _so_ appreciate it if you came along with me. Would you?" Minako asked with her sweetest smile. "Just in case I get lost. We're not only best friends, we're future sisters-in-law, remember?"

"I wish I could forget."

"I promise to drive really, _really_ slowly and not go very far. I'll have you back safe and sound and snuggling with your Yuji in just ten minutes or so. _Please?"_

Against her better judgement, Makoto found herself nodding. "Ok. I suppose someone should go with you, if it means you stay safe. I don't want you to kill yourself."

"That's the spirit, Mako-chan!" Minako beamed. "The car key is hidden under a bench. I'll find it and we can hit the road!"

"Just make sure the road is the _only_ thing we hit, Minako-chan!" Beneath a starry sky, the two girls slipped quietly inside the carport.

. . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

On the mansion's second floor, a small gap in the curtain covering an unlit bedroom window drew closed. Haruka turned away from the window with a satisfied grin. "I knew it" she chuckled.

"Your assumption was correct?" Michiru asked. "Minako is taking the Ferrari for a joyride?"

"Hai. Minako is painfully easy to read, Michi-chan. And she has Makoto with her, which I have to admit _is_ a surprise. I wonder how Minako talked her into going."

"Shouldn't you stop them, Haruka? I certainly wouldn't want the girls getting themselves lost or injured."

"They'll be fine. I've seen enough of Minako's driving to have a reasonable idea about what she can do. She's a little wild, but has a good sense of control."

"Are you sure?

"Pretty much. Anyway, the streets are empty, that Ferrari is an older, much slower model and my racing sponsor is exchanging it for another one when the new models arrive next month, so I'm not concerned about it picking up a little scratch or two." Haruka sat on their bed. "I remember _my_ first time" she reflected fondly.

"Your first time? Doing what, exactly?"

"I'm talking about my first time driving a sports car, Michi-chan" her partner grinned. "What were you thinking I meant?"

"Oh... any of several possibilities" Michiru smiled. "Are you going to stay awake until they return?"

"No, as a matter of fact I'm feeling rather sleepy." Haruka stretched her tall, trim body out on the bed beside her lover. "Wake me if anything interesting happens."

. . . . .

Back at the carport, Minako was getting flustered as she groped beneath the bench for the key. "Where did Haruka hide that dumb thing? It's too dark to see!"

"If you can't find the key in one more minute, I'm going back to bed, Minako-chan. This crazy plan of yours is something I can happily live without."

_"Aha!_ Got it!" the blonde suddenly blurted to Makoto's deep dismay. She dangled the key between her fingers. "I'll unlock your door for you and then we're zooming straight out of here. _In a Ferrari!"_ she swooned.

"And zooming straight to the hospital in an ambulance five minutes later" Makoto muttered. She stooped down to climb into the passenger seat. "Why is this thing so low?"

"All sports cars are like that, Mako-chan. Maybe it makes them faster or something, I don't know." The blonde excitedly hopped behind the wheel. "I've been dreaming about this moment for weeks!"

"And I'll be having nightmares about it for years, no doubt. If we manage to live through tonight. Do you know how to get it going?"

"I _think_ so." After a moment of fumbling in the dark, the powerful engine rumbled to life, much to the blonde girl's delight. "Wow! This thing sounds so fast and we aren't even moving yet! Fasten your seatbelt, Mako-chan!"

"If I fastened it any tighter, I'd suffocate. And turn on the lights if you don't mind! I want to see what we're going to crash into."

"Silly! We won't crash. I know what I'm doing... I think..."

"You _think?"_ Makoto glared at her.

Minako pushed a random button and the windshield wipers rubbed across the dry glass. "That isn't it" the blonde muttered. Next came the flashing hazard lights. "That isn't the right one either." After repeated poking and prodding, she finally found the correct switch and the front of the car was bathed in twin beams light. "There, that's got it!" she bubbled at her friend.

"I'm impressed, Minako-chan. All that fiddling around and we haven't even left the garage yet."

_"Hush, _Mako-chan! I need to remember what Ami told me. It sounded kind of complicated." With her brow furrowed in intense concentration, she released the hand brake and partially depressed the clutch. "Next, Ami said I'm supposed to put it in first gear." She pointed at the stick between them. "That's the spot marked with the number one, Mako-chan."

"No kidding. Looks like Haruna-sensei's hard work is finally paying off for you."

Minako wiggled the shifter to one side and pushed it forward, producing a sharp metallic grind from somewhere beneath. "Oops! I guess I needed to push that clutch thingy all the way down." She tried again and the car slipped into gear. "Much better! Ready to roll?" she grinned. "Because _here we go!"_

She released the clutch too quickly and the car jolted forward and promptly stalled._ "Nani? _What's _wrong_ with this crazy thing? We should be cruising down the street by now!"

"Maybe there's a loose nut" Makoto suggested. "Like the blonde one sitting behind the wheel."

"Hmph! Let me try it again, only this time I'll speed the car up a little." Minako's hands and feet became a blur of activity as a flurry of still more frantic gearshift wiggling, key turning and clutch pressing followed.

"Good grief!" Makoto scoffed. "If we were trying to get to Nerima, I could've taken the bus there by now!"

The blonde exclaimed, "Here we go! Again! He he!" followed an instant later by a second lurching stall.

"Another dozen or so of those and we may actually make it to the driveway" the brunette teased. "Listen, maybe you should wait until-"

_"No!" _Minako hissed. "I'm driving this stupid car tonight even if it kills us!"

"Us? What a pleasant thought" Makoto sighed.

This time, the flustered girl at the wheel was determined to get the car rolling. She slammed the clutch down, viciously shoved the stick into low and stomped on the accelerator. The Ferrari shot out of the garage with a squeal of spinning tires.

_"Baka! Not so fast!" _Makoto gripped the armrest for dear life as the street quickly loomed near.

_"Now_ I know how to drive this thing!" Minako hooted in triumph. She spun the steering wheel and the sports car turned onto the deserted road. "I was being too gentle, Mako-chan. But not anymore!" she cackled. "I'm going to show this car who's really in charge! _Me_, that's who!" Minako slammed the gas pedal to the floor, pinning the teens back in their seats. _"Wheee!" _she blurted above the engine's roar._ "I love this! I'm driving a Ferrari!"_

"You're _suicidal!_ That's what you are!"

. . . . .

Inside the house, a bedside light clicked on and Ami got up to peer through her window. "Goodness! Someone's making a dreadful amount of noise at this late hour, Ryo-kun!"

"Hai. I'm certainly wide awake now, Ami darling" her fiancee laughed.

Ami spun around. "You are?"

"Hai. Competely awake!"

"So am I" she smiled coyly. "What an excellent opportunity for a little more... studying, don't you agree?"

Ryo blushed. "Most definitely, my love."

. . . . .

"I'm going to die" Makoto groaned. "Here in this strange yellow car with an insane person at the wheel!"

"No you're not" Minako giggled. "After we stop at the bottom of the hill, we'll drive a few kilometers on the bigger road, then we'll turn around and go back."

"You promise? Just a few kilometers?"

"Well... maybe more than a few, Mako-chan. I haven't even tried second gear yet. I want to see how fast this thing can _really_ fly!"

"Goodbye, Yuji honey. I love you."

"Stop that!" Minako braked to a jarring halt at the intersection, stalling the car again. "I'm beginning to get really angry with this silly thing!" She restarted the engine and once more they lurched ahead. After a seeming multitude of lurches and grinds, the blonde found second. "Stall on me, will you? _Take this!"_ She buried the gas, pinning the girls hard against their seats yet again and flattening Makoto's ponytail as they roared down the thankfully deserted street.

Minako was quickly becoming crazed by the car's immense power. "I could do this all day, Mako-chan! And now... for third!"

_"Third?_ How high does that stick go up to?"

"I can't remember, but third should be enough, at least for now."

"One was more than enough for me, thanks. I don't want any third. And _don't you dare_ think of going to four, Minako-chan!"

Minako wasn't listening to the brunette. "Such _power!"_ she crooned at the car. "It's intoxicating! I _must_ have more!" A wild gleam of speed-induced lust appeared in her shimmering blue eyes. "_I must have all of it!"_

"And I must be _crazy_ to be going along with this" Makoto sighed. "Poor Yuji and Taro are marrying two certifiable lunatics. At least they _will_ _be_ if we're still around for the weddings!"

. . . . .


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Five minutes later...

"Gomen, Mako-chan" Minako giggled nervously. "Are you mad at me? You look mad, but you really shouldn't be mad, because I stopped the car-"

"Hai!" Makoto cut her off. "You stopped the car! In the middle of _a farmer's field! BAKA!"_

"How was I supposed to know that silly road would end so suddenly? I've never been-"

"Shut up, Minako-chan. Shut up and take this thing back to the garage it came from. And _never_ speak about tonight to me ever again!"

"Ok, ok! You don't need to yell about it." Minako started the engine for the tenth time in the last half hour, wrenched the stick shift into reverse and slowly eased backwards, following the skid marks she had gouged. They reversed across the field, past the sign they had nearly knocked down, over the curb and onto the street. "Before we go back to the house I really should check for damage, Mako-chan."

"Fine. Whatever."

The blonde clambered out and ran to the front of the Ferrari, only to hurry up to Makoto's door a few seconds later.

"Well?" Makoto growled. "Did you wreck Haruka's car?"

_"Of course not, silly_! The car is completely, perfectly fine! Except for some weeds or something wedged behind the front bumper. Would you mind helping me get them out?"

"You put them there. You clean them off."

"There's too many!" Minako pleaded. "It will take me forever! I'd consider it a _big_ favour, Mako-chan."

"You say _favour_ just one more time and you're-"

"Please please _please!"_

"When will I _ever_ learn?" Muttering to herself, the brunette climbed from the yellow Ferrari and stomped up to peer at the bumper. A rising full moon in the east cast just enough light for her to see the collection of grass, sod and what looked like a long row of decapitated carrot tops mushed against it. She fished several tissues from her pocket and bent to the task. "Don't just stand there like an idiot, Minako-chan. Get down here on your knees and start cleaning!"

"Hai! I'm on it! Arigatou, Mako-chan!"

The girls set to work, and the car soon miraculously seemed none the worse for wear. "That'll have to do" Makoto grumbled. "Now take us home, and go at a _reasonable_ speed this time."

"I can do that!" Minako nodded. "Nice and slow, just like Usagi drives! Well, not _that_ slow."

After they had started off, Makoto placed her hand around Minako's bare arm. "Ok, this is how it works. I'll be watching you closely, and every time you go too fast during the drive back, I'm going to squeeze your arm. Like this."

"Ouch!"

"Understand? Good."

Minako managed to travel scarcely two hundred meters before her right foot yielded to temptation.

"Ow!"

"Slow down."

"Hai!" she giggled. "Slowing down!" Another five hundred meters passed by.

"Ouch! That _hurts,_ Mako-chan!"

"You know the rules."

"What if I get a bruise on my soft, beautiful skin?"

"Consider yourself lucky you still have skin. Or an arm."

"Hai" she sighed, but the frown disappeared as she drove and her bubbly personality soon returned. "You have to admit it, Mako-chan. This _was_ a lot of fun. I _love_ driving this car! And in another six hours I'll get to do it all over again!"

"Try not to drive Haruka through a forest or a department store next time you go out. I don't think she'd appreciate it."

"That's what I love about you, my someday soon to be sister-in-law! Your silly sense of humour! _Ouch!"_

_. . . . ._

Minako slowly backed the Ferrari up to the carport and switched off its engine. "I'm not getting any closer, Mako-chan. We'll have to push it inside from here."

The brunette scowled, "I forgot about that! First you nearly wrecked us, then I got to crawl around in the dirt on my hands and knees in the middle of the night, and _now_ I get to push a heavy car. I haven't had this much fun since the last time a cardian tried to kill me. How could today_ possibly_ get any worse? Unless Yuji ran off with Michiru while we were gone or something."

"Well... uh... you could've drank one of those cocktails Rei had tonight" Minako suggested. _"That_ would be worse."

"At least she enjoyed herself!" Makoto placed her hands on the front of the Ferrari. "Are the wheels pointing straight? I don't want to end up on the lawn."

"Hai! It should roll right in, Mako-chan." The blonde joined her and they both began to shove but the car stubbornly sat there, completely immobile.

_"Uuggh!_ This thing must weigh more than Juuban High!" the brunette grunted, her shoes skidding across the driveway. She pushed even harder. "It's not budging, Minako-chan!"

"Oh, hold on a minute! Let me check something." Minako reached inside and moved a lever. "Gomen! I put the parking brake on by mistake! _He he he!"_

"One of these days, Minako-chan. One of these days I'm going to lose it. And it _won't_ be by mistake."

Minako teased, "I thought you lost it ages ago, when Yuji and Taro stayed over at your house that night?" She giggled, "That's when I did!"

Makoto's voice became as chilling as winter in Siberia. "Shut. Up. And. _Push."_

This time the car rolled backwards into the garage, much to the teens' relief. Minako reached into her pocket for the key as Makoto walked past the driver's door. "Mako-chan, I left the key in the ignition. Would you mind pulling it out for me so I can hide it again? And set the handbrake too, please."

"Would you also care for a massage or a foot rub after your gruelling night, Minako-chan?"

"I would, but that's my honey muffin's job!" the blonde grinned. "He'll do that later."

Still muttering, Makoto pulled open the driver's door and reached inside, yanking the handbrake on. Just as she removed the key from the ignition, the shrill sound of a fast-approaching siren pierced the night.

. . . . .

The siren soon woke the blue-haired girl and her fiancee on the second floor. "Oh my!" Ami exclaimed. "This is a surprisingly noisy neighbourhood!" The siren's blare grew louder and her bedroom window began to flicker from a flashing emergency light somewhere nearby.

Ryo grinned at his girl in the near darkness. "I'm wide awake again, Ami darling."

"So am I, my Ryo-kun."

"Would you... like to..."

She smiled coyly at her young lover. "Oh _yes."_

. . . . .

Makoto sprang from the car like it was about to explode. _"Great, Minako-chan!_ Now you have the police after us for speeding so much! _Baka!"_

"Give me that key, Mako-chan!" Minako hissed. "I have to put it back so Haruka can find it in the morning!"

"Here. I guess we should go and tell..." The emergency vehicle pulled swiftly up the driveway and braked near the house. Makoto caught a brief glimpse as it roared passed the carport. _"Minako-chan!_ That's not the police! It looks more like an ambulance!"

The two girls looked at each other in horror, then spoke as one. _"Yuuichirou is dead!"_

They rushed outside but were even more surprised when they realized the vehicle was a fire truck. The front door burst open and Tsukino Usagi ran outside in her robe, gesturing frantically at the men. "Minna! It's in the kitchen!"

Two firemen grabbed large silver extinguishers from the truck and ran inside as lights began flickering on upstairs.

_"Usagi-chan!"_ Makoto yelled as the two girls ran up. "What's happening here?"

The words gushed from the distraught girl's lips in an unbroken stream. "I was still hungry and I went downstairs to heat up some food in the toaster oven but then lots of smoke poured out of it and I thought I saw flames and so I called the fire department!" She took a deep breath. "And now they're here and they're going to wake everyone up and Haruka and Michiru will be so mad at me if I burn down their nice house!"

"Wait here with Minako. I'm going to see how bad it is." Makoto sprinted towards the door, stopping just inside when one of the men appeared.

The fireman held up a small blackened container. "There's no fire, miss. Someone put a cardboard box in the toaster oven and it got a little singed. Everything's fine now."

Makoto bowed at him. "Arigatou gozumaisu."

Michiru hurried downstairs, still appearing graceful in her silk gown despite her haste. "Mako-chan?"

"Usagi was cooking again, Michiru-san. There's no fire, everything's good."

"Was Usagi hurt?" the green-haired young woman asked.

"Only her pride" Makoto chuckled. "Don't worry about the kitchen. I'll air it out for you and clean up any mess. Please, go on back to bed."

Michiru smiled appreciatively. "Arigatou, Mako-chan."

Mamoru was next to appear. "Minna, what's hap-"

"Usagi. Cooking. All good now, Mamoru-san." The brunette added, "She's outside and really stressed."

"I'll take care of her. Arigatou, Mako-chan."

'I'm starting to feel like a traffic policeman' the brunette thought. 'What a crazy night!' She was then stunned to see Rei appear at the top of the stairs, bundled in her yukata and with a deeply worried look on her face. 'Oh oh. Looks like that cocktail has finally worn off!'

. . . . .


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Rei hurried downstairs to join the brunette. "Was there a fire, Mako-chan?"

"Usagi and a toaster oven had a slight disagreement, Rei-chan. Nothing to worry about" Makoto told her friend, wondering if the effects of the miko's earlier cocktail had finally cleared. She decided to find out. "So... how's everything going... you know... upstairs?

"Upstairs?" the raven-haired girl puzzled. "Everything's fine, Mako-chan. Why shouldn't it be?"

"You don't remember that cocktail? Or the effect it had on you?"

"I don't..." Rei thought for a moment and her face suddenly turned crimson.

"Now you do!" Makoto chuckled. The brunette grinned evilly. "Does Yuuichirou still have a pulse?"

The miko's pretty face reddened even more. "Yuuichirou is _asleep_, Mako-chan. And_ I_ was too, until that siren woke me."

Usagi unfortunately picked that moment to reenter the house, along with Mamoru and Minako. "Hi, Rei-chan! What are you doing up?" She teased, "Taking a break from attacking your poor fiancee?"

_"Excuse me?" _the miko scowled. "What's wrong this time, Usagi-chan? Were you afraid everyone would have a good night's rest for once? That just wouldn't do, would it?" Usagi cringed as Rei defensively launched into full-on rant mode. "Tell me, what are you going to arrange for everyone's entertainment after we all go back to bed? A taiko drum practice outside my bedroom window, perhaps? Or maybe a nice loud fireworks display?"

'Sounds like the old Rei is back' Makoto chuckled to herself. 'And then some!'

_"I'm_ having a fireworks display!" Minako exclaimed. "A private one just between my Taro and me, that'll start as soon as I go upstairs and rev up my honey love's engine!"

The brunette muttered, "Haven't you revved up enough things for one night, Minako-chan?"

"Not yet!" the blonde giggled. "That car ride was only the beginning of tonight's fun. Now it's time to see what my_ lover boy_ can really do after he's had a _whole hour_ of sleep!"

"Car ride?" The miko regarded the clothing the future sisters-in-law wore. "Why are you two down here and fully dressed in your school fuku in the middle of the night? And why aren't your fiancees with you?"

"We... uh... felt like a cup of tea, Rei-chan" Makoto mumbled.

"Hai!" Minako giggled. "A really, really_ fast_ cup!" She swooned, "Just _thinking_ about it makes me so steamy hot!"

Rei ignored the blonde's seemingly nonsensical reply. "Oh, tea! Of course. That makes _perfect_ sense, Mako-chan. Too bad you and baka Minako didn't bring your kimonos along, or you could have performed the full ceremony." She gave the brunette a suspicious look. "What was _really_ going on outside earlier?"

"If you must know, we were... uh... picking carrots, Rei-chan."

"Nani? _Carrots?_ That makes even less sense than Minako's usual babblings!"

Usagi tried discreetly retreating to the kitchen, but Rei noticed and dogged along behind her, interrogating the blonde as she went. "You were cooking again, weren't you Usagi-chan? I know, because I could smell something burning. And the firemen were a helpful clue too."

_"For your information_, I was only trying to-"

"Trying to make Haruka and Michiru homeless? Too bad, Usagi-chan. Better luck next time."

_"Quiet, Rei-chan!_ Shouldn't you be upstairs torturing your Yuuichirou instead of down here torturing me?"

The raven-haired girl's deepening blush nearly equalled the crimson yukata she wore. _"I was not_ torturing my Yuuichirou! We were just doing what comes naturally between a girl and a boy in love, that's all! _How dare you say that!"_

Makoto and Minako followed the bickering pair into the kitchen. The brunette was pleased to find that the windows were already opened and the burning cardboard smell was all but gone.

Seeing that all was well, Minako suddenly exclaimed, "Minna, see you in the morning!" She sprinted toward the stairs. _"I'm on my way, stud muffin! It's love-love time again!"_

Rei glared at Usagi, who was peering at the toaster oven with deep distrust. "So what did you destroy this time?"

Usagi whirled around. "You know what? I liked you a lot more after you drank that crazy cocktail thing earlier! Because then you weren't down here nagging me half to death!"

"And I liked _you_ a lot more then too, Usagi-chan! "Because I didn't have to listen to any more lame excuses for your latest disaster! I swear, you wreak havoc on everything you touch. You could probably burn down a house just by eating a bowl of ice cream!"

"Miserable!" Usagi miffed. She took her fiancee's hand and dragged him away. "Come on, Mamo-chan. Let's go upstairs before evil Rei insults me again."

"It's not an insult if it's true!" the miko yelled after her. "Where are you going? Don't you dare walk away! I'm not done yelling at you yet!_ Baka!"_

"What a night" Makoto sighed.

. . . . .

The brunette and her fiancee were the first couple downstairs in the morning. While Yuji set to work brewing a large pot of coffee, Makoto took the liberty of preparing a light breakfast for them and their friends. "Yuji honey, I think what happened here last night was something Haruka and Michiru's famous parties will _never_ top. Oh, please make that coffee extra strong, darling. Yuuichirou may need it!"

"I can't believe Minako actually snuck out in the middle of the night and drove Haruka's Ferrari" he grinned. "And you were brave enough to go with her!"

"Did she ever! It takes an awful lot to scare me, but once again Minako managed to pull it off. She drove _the heck_ out of that poor car!" Makoto cracked several eggs into a large wok. "I suppose we should be grateful that Minako didn't try that cocktail, or instead of riding around in Haruka's Ferrari, they'd be wheeling your brother out of here on a stretcher."

"More like in a body bag!" Yuji laughed. He turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Konnichiwa, love birds!"

Ami and Ryo strolled into the kitchen, their happy faces aglow with love. "Good morning!" Ami greeted them with a bright smile. "Minna, did anyone else notice all that dreadful noise last night? It awoke my Ryo-kun and me several times."

"Noise?" Makoto mumbled. "What noise? Oh, you mean the fire truck! Hai, I noticed it. It was hard to miss, sitting there in the driveway."

"A _fire truck_ was here?" Ami gasped. "Why? Was it by any chance because of Usagi?"

"Hai. Usagi" the chuckling blonde nodded. "The master chef was at it again. Did the noise bother you?"

"Well... it wasn't exactly an _inconvenience,_ Mako-chan" the blue-haired girl admitted shyly.

"Say no more" Makoto grinned. "You two will find _any_ excuse to do more studying."

_"Mako-chan!" _Ami reddened. "Are my Ryo-kun and I really_ that_ predictable?"

"Was I wrong?"

"No" she blushed. "You weren't wrong."

"Then you're that predictable. Here, have a coffee."

A sniffing sound was soon followed by Usagi and Mamoru entering the room. "Something smells yummy!" the blonde exclaimed. She spied the wok and rushed over to it. "Arigatou, Mako-chan!"

"As predictable as Usagi's appetite" Makoto snickered at the blue-haired girl. She playfully smacked the hungry blonde's hand away. "Get out of there, Usagi-chan! You'll burn yourself and I haven't even finished adding all the ingredients yet."

Seconds later, Minako rushed into the kitchen. _"Oh no!_ Haruka still isn't up yet!" she groaned in disappointment. "I was_ so_ hoping to drive my Ferrari again!" She bubbled, "I feel the need for _lots_ more speed!"

_"Your_ Ferrari?" Makoto snorted. "A little possessive today, aren't we?"

"Uh... what did you mean by driving it _again, _Minako-chan?" Ami asked.

"Did I say that?" Minako giggled. "Oops!"

Rei was next to appear, greeting everyone with a smile. "Konnichiwa, minna." She glared at Usagi who was still hovering near the wok. "Good morning, pyro."

_"See!"_ the blonde wailed at her fiancee. "Evil Rei is at it again, Mamo-chan!"

"Yuuichirou will be down later" the raven-haired girl told her friends. "For some odd reason, he's unusually tired this morning. Completely exhausted."

"I wonder why?" Usagi tittered.

"Shut up, Usagi-chan."

"My honey love is really tired too" Minako giggled. "Haruka's Ferrari wasn't the only thing I drove hard last night!"

"That was rather tactless" the brunette remarked. "And it isn't even nine yet. A new record."

"You drove Haruka's car? Already?" Rei asked in surprise. "And without her permission, I assume."

"She won't mind because_ I'm_ an expert at changing gears!" the blonde retorted. "Mako-chan, you really should learn how to drive" Minako insisted. "All the other girls know how. Besides, you're missing out on so much fun!"

"Maybe I should" the brunette mused. "Then I can kick you out of the driver's seat whenever you go crazy. Which is every time you sit in it."

"I'd be happy to teach you" her future sister-in-law offered. _"I know!_ Why don't I give you your very first lesson next week? You can use my car to practice with."

"Thanks, but I don't have a death wish."

"Now now, silly! I'm not _that_ bad!"

"Not far from here, there's a big bunch of mangled carrots that would say otherwise, if they weren't already dead."

"What is it with you and carrots lately, Mako-chan?" Rei muttered.

"Never mind" Makoto grinned.

"Hey, minna." Haruka joined the teens, wearing shorts and a tank top. "Arigatou, Mako-chan. It looks like I'll finally have the opportunity to sample your famous cooking."

Minako seized the older blonde by the arm. "No time for eating, Haruka-san! Let's go driving!"

"You still want to go?" Haruka chuckled. "I thought the novelty would have worn off after your adventure last night."

Minako's eyes bulged wide. _"You knew?"_ she cringed.

"Of course I knew. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Hai!" she exclaimed, then abruptly pouted, "Does this mean you're mad at me and won't let me drive it anymore?"

"Sure you can drive it again. But not until after I've had breakfast."

"Arigatou, Haruka-san!" Minako beamed. "I was all wrong about you! You're much too generous and kind and nice to ever chase after my Taro. I don't know _what_ I was thinking! Gomen nasai!"

"I'm glad you finally realized that, Minako-chan" Haruka chuckled. "And just to show you that I really am a good sport, I'm going to suggest a way to make this morning even more interesting. I'm entering you in a little contest against your friends."

"Nani?" Minako eyed Haruka suspiciously. "What kind of contest?"

"After you drive, I'm going to let the other girls take the car for a spin too" she announced with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And whoever I deem to be best at handling it can borrow my Ferrari all weekend for their pilgrimage to Nerima."

"That's so kind of you, Haruka-san!" Ami smiled appreciatively. "I'd _love_ to try my hand at driving a real sports car." She caught Minako's eye. "It must be _so_ much faster than my little blue turtle."

"I definitely would too" Rei agreed, to the growing horror of her blonde friend. "Count me in!"

"I think I'll pass, thanks anyway" Usagi fretted. "Mamo-chan's car is more than fast enough for me, Haruka-san."

"A horse and wagon would be too fast for you, Usagi-chan" Rei smirked. "Even without the horse."

Usagi stuck out her tongue. "Nyaaa! _Meanie!"_

_"Lizard!"_

"No no_ no!"_ Minako blurted._ "_Everybody hold your herses here! If _anyone's_ driving that car to Mako-chan's house this weekend, it'll be _me!"_ She glowered evilly at the other girls_, "So don't waste your time even bothering to try!"_

_. . . . ._

Several hours later, Minako and Makoto were zooming down the highway toward the brunette's old country home. "This just isn't right!" Minako grumbled again. _"I_ should have won that stupid contest! My car feels so unbearably slow now!"

"Will you_ please_ stop whining about it?" Makoto groaned from alongside Yuji in the rear seat of her friend's hatchback. "You're making everyone crazy! You've been going on and on about losing ever since we left Tokyo. You finished_ last,_ Minako-chan. Live with it."

"At least we'll be there soon, honey muffin" Minako muttered to her Taro. _"But it's still not fair!"_ She glanced in her mirror and her mouth dropped open. _"Kuso!"_

The bright yellow ride of her dreams zoomed up behind the teens, smoothly changed lanes and pulled alongside. Its young female driver and her male passenger waved at them before the petite blue-haired girl at the wheel giggled and floored the accelerator. The powerful sports car roared ahead, leaving the struggling orange Toyota far in its wake.

Minako scowled at the Ferrari as it disappeared into the distance. "I _hate_ you, Ami-chan!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


End file.
